Cytoskeleton Regulators

The internal scaffolding of the eukaryotic cell, known as the cytoskeleton, includes actin filaments (or microfilaments), intermediate filaments, and microtubules. These filaments all share many mechanisms that regulate their biogenesis, organization, polymerization, and depolymerization. Protein kinase and phosphatase cascades control cytoskeleton component activity, and G-proteins recruit cytoskeleton components to specific intracellular locations. Despite similar regulatory pathways, each filament has a distinct function. Actin filaments regulate cell motility, size, and shape via projections such as filopodia, growth cones, lamellipodia, microvilli, and ruffles. Actin filaments also contribute to cell–cell and cell–matrix junctions, cytokinesis, cytoplasmic streaming, and muscle contraction. Intermediate filaments arrange the three-dimensional cell structure by anchoring organelles in place. The dynamics of microtubules, the core component of mitotic spindles and the axonemes of eukaryotic cilia and flagella, control both vesicular transport and chromosomal segregation during cell division. Dysregulation of cytoskeleton dynamics most severely affects cells whose shape plays a critical role in their function, such as neurons and cardiomyocytes, contributing to neurological disorders and cardiomyopathies, respectively. ...

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The internal scaffolding of the eukaryotic cell, known as the cytoskeleton, includes actin filaments (or microfilaments), intermediate filaments, and microtubules. These filaments all share many mechanisms that regulate their biogenesis, organization, polymerization, and depolymerization. Protein kinase and phosphatase cascades control cytoskeleton component activity, and G-proteins recruit cytoskeleton components to specific intracellular locations. Despite similar regulatory pathways, each filament has a distinct function. Actin filaments regulate cell motility, size, and shape via projections such as filopodia, growth cones, lamellipodia, microvilli, and ruffles. Actin filaments also contribute to cell–cell and cell–matrix junctions, cytokinesis, cytoplasmic streaming, and muscle contraction. Intermediate filaments arrange the three-dimensional cell structure by anchoring organelles in place. The dynamics of microtubules, the core component of mitotic spindles and the axonemes of eukaryotic cilia and flagella, control both vesicular transport and chromosomal segregation during cell division. Dysregulation of cytoskeleton dynamics most severely affects cells whose shape plays a critical role in their function, such as neurons and cardiomyocytes, contributing to neurological disorders and cardiomyopathies, respectively.